"Few know that his funny repartée kept him alive in dire times," the piece says. "During World War II, Eliot was a B-24 bomber pilot when he was shot down over Germany and spent the next 18 months as a prisoner of war.

He staged original skits and reviews for prisoners in Stalagluft I."

Eliot graduated from Wayne State University and cared for his wife, Annette, after she suffered a disabling stroke.

Friend and co-worker Don Swindell says Eliot died Friday morning at home in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills after an illness.

One of the city's most well-known media personalities, Eliot was a throwback to a time when local television established its identity through non-news programming that made up with enthusiasm and creativity.

His longest-lasting gig was as a weathercaster, first on WWJ radio in 1950 — a job he held well into the 21st century — as well as on local television stations.

Eliot retired in 2010 from broadcasting, announcing the end of his career on WWJ.

Here's a few of Eliot's jokes made during his forecasts:

It was Matthew T. Pursley a man who wrote that very famous book 'How to avoid emotional attachment while performing mouth to mouth resucitation.' He said, "Early to bed and early to rise and girl goes out with six other guys."

44 degrees in Rexford. A fellow up there made a killing in the stock market. He shot his broker.

There was a lady from Jacobsville married so many times there are rice marks on her face.

Snow showers to make the night as comfortable as a bed full of crackers, cold enough to see a penguin buying thermal underwear.

Colder than an eviction notice to a naked eskimo in an unheated igloo.